(August 11, 2015) – Through a partnership with Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, St. Joseph Health System will have the Brazos Valley’s only level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) staffed by neonatologists who provide care at Texas Children’s, a nationally recognized facility.

The level III NICU and partnership with Texas Children’s is a direct outcome of the relationship formed when St. Joseph joined Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI).

A level III NICU offers a high level of care for critically ill infants born at 28 weeks and later. The St. Joseph level III NICU at the regional health center will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by neonatologists who provide care at Texas Children’s, making it the only NICU in the region offering this level of care. Texas Children’s operates the country’s largest level IV NICU, caring for more than 2,500 babies each year. To learn more about Texas Children’s Newborn Center, visit: http://texaschildrens.org/newborn/.

“Expectant mothers want the very best for their children. Through this partnership with nationally recognized Texas Children’s Hospital, mothers can now have added peace of mind and confidence in the level of care provided at St. Joseph Regional Health Center’s NICU,” said Dina Perez-Graham, vice president and chief nursing officer for St. Joseph Health System.

Dr. S. Gwynn A. Geddie has been named the medical director at St. Joseph Regional Health Center’s NICU. Dr. Geddie has 20 years of neonatal expertise. He was most recently the medical director for newborn services at CHI St. Luke’s Health The Vintage Hospital in Houston, and held positions at Baylor College of Medicine and Spohn Memorial in Corpus Christi.

“The partnership between St. Joseph Regional Health Center and Texas Children’s offers mothers-to-be and newborns a higher level of care, as well as a continuity of care from delivery to post-partum, with physicians who are known for their care for premature and critically ill infants,” says Perez-Graham.

“This advancement between our two organizations further elevates our commitment to women’s care in our community. We deliver over 1,500 babies a year at St. Joseph Regional Health Center and approximately 150 of those babies receive care in our Level III NICU,” Perez-Graham continued.

Maternity services at St. Joseph Regional Health Center are offered in a state-of-the-art facility with an emphasis on providing a healing and comforting environment for families during the delivery of their child. The 38,800 sq. ft. unit was remodeled in 2010 increasing the number of labor and delivery and postpartum rooms, as well as adding a well-baby nursery in addition to the NICU.

The labor and delivery team at St. Joseph Regional is among the most experienced in the Brazos Valley, with many nurses on staff who have assisted in delivering multiple generations of families from the community. The team of NICU nurses collectively have more than 100 years of experience in caring for newborns, including triplets and quadruplets delivered at St. Joseph.

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About St. Joseph Health System

Established in 1936, St. Joseph Health System is a faith-based, not-for-profit health system committed to excellence and compassion in caring for the mind, body and spirit while creating healthier communities. St. Joseph Health System is comprised of five hospital facilities across the Brazos Valley, including St. Joseph Regional Health Center, the region’s highest level trauma center. St. Joseph Physician Associates operates more than a dozen primary and specialty care clinics around the region, offering expert care, closer to home. St. Joseph Health System is a part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), one of the nation’s largest health systems. For more information, visit st-joseph.org.

St. Joseph Health System is a part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), one of the nation’s largest health systems. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, CHI operates in 18 states and comprises more than 90 hospitals, including four academic medical centers and teaching hospitals; 24 critical-access facilities; community health services organizations; accredited nursing colleges; home health agencies; and other services that span the inpatient and outpatient continuum of care.

About Texas Children’s Hospital

Texas Children’s Hospital, a not-for-profit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas, and among the top in the nation, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. The hospital includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; the Feigin Center for pediatric research; Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, a second community hospital planned to open in 2017. The organization also created the nation’s first HMO for children, has the largest pediatric primary care network in the country and a global health program that’s channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, go to http://www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news by visiting the online newsroom and Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.

Bryan, Texas, August 6, 2015 – St. Joseph Regional Health Center was one of only 91 hospitals nationwide to be awarded the Silver Performance Achievement Award for 2015 by the American College of Cardiology. The award recognizes St. Joseph’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients.

“The implementation of these guidelines requires successful coordination of the cardiovascular team and emergency personnel and is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of heart attack patients.” said Mack Blanton, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for St. Joseph Health System.

“Our team has worked diligently on initiatives that bring our patients the highest level of care. This award reflects the expertise and dedication of our entire cardiovascular team for delivering care to some of our most critically ill patients,” Dr. Blanton continued.

To receive this honor, St. Joseph Regional consistently followed treatment guidelines set by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association for four consecutive quarters and met a performance standard of 90 percent for specific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients.

The Center for Disease Control estimates that over 700,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.

“The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association commend St. Joseph Regional Health Center for its success in implementing standards of care. The full implementation of acute and secondary prevention guideline-recommended therapy is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of heart attack patients,” said James Jollis, MD, FACC, ACTION Registry-GWTG Chair and Professor of Medicine and Radiology at Duke University Hospital.

ACTION Registry–GWTG is a partnership between the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association with partnering support from the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. ACTION Registry-GWTG empowers health care provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines and establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients.

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About St. Joseph Health System

Established in 1936, St. Joseph Health System is a faith-based, not-for-profit health system committed to excellence and compassion in caring for the mind, body and spirit while creating healthier communities. St. Joseph Health System is comprised of five hospital facilities across the Brazos Valley, including St. Joseph Regional Health Center, the region’s highest level trauma center. St. Joseph Physician Associates operates more than a dozen primary and specialty care clinics around the region, offering expert care, closer to home. St. Joseph Health System is a part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), one of the nation’s largest health systems. For more information, visit st-joseph.org.

St. Joseph Health System is a part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), one of the nation’s largest health systems. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, CHI operates in 18 states and comprises more than 90 hospitals, including four academic medical centers and teaching hospitals; 24 critical-access facilities; community health services organizations; accredited nursing colleges; home health agencies; and other services that span the inpatient and outpatient continuum of care.

The American College of Cardiology is a 49,000-member medical society that is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more information, visit ACC.org.